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The present invention relates generally to a drinking fountain for pet, and more particularly to a water stopping structure of the spout of the drinking fountain for pet.
As shown in FIG. 9, a prior art spout 50 of the drinking fountain for pet is provided at the free end with a tapping part 51 fastened therewith. The tapping part 51 is provided at the free end with an opening 52 via which the drinking water is discharged. The tapping part 51 is provided in the inner wall of the free end thereof with a washer 53 and a steel ball 54. The opening 52 of the tapping part 51 is shut off by the steel ball 54 at the time when the steel ball 54 comes in a full contact with the washer 53. As a result, the flow of the drinking water is stopped by the steel ball 54. When the steel ball 54 is moved away from the washer 53 by the licking tongue of a pet, the opening 52 is no longer obstructed by the steel ball 54, thereby allowing the passage of the drinking water. As soon as the licking tongue of the pet withdraws from the steel ball 54, the steel ball 54 drops back into the washer 53 so as to shut off the opening 52. Such a water stopping structure of the prior art as described above is defective in design in that the washer 53 is not securely located and is therefore vulnerable to displacement by the licking tongue of the pet. The displacement of the washer 53 is bound to result in water leak.
As shown in FIG. 10, an improved version of the prior art structure described above with reference to FIG. 9 is provided in the inner wall of the tapping part 51 with a projection 55 which is used to arrest the washer 53 so as to prevent the washer 53 from being displaced by the licking tongue of a pet. In light of the spout 50 and the tapping part 51 being located slantingly, the steel ball 54 is prone to being caught by the projection 55 in the wake of the withdrawal of the licking tongue of the pet. The failure of the steel ball 54 to return to its original position results in water leak.
As shown in FIG. 11, another prior art tapping part 62 is fastened to the free end of a spout 61 of a pet fountain. The tapping part 62 is provided in the inner wall with an upper tapered portion 621, and a lower tapered portion 622 which is provided with an upper stop edge 623 and a lower stop edge 625. A tapered washer 63 is held securely in the lower tapered portion 622. However, both the tapered washer 63 and the lower tapered portion 622 must be made with precision at additional cost. In addition, a steel ball 64 is bound to be forced by the water pressure to sit tightly in the washer 63, thereby making it difficult for the tongue of a pet to move the steel ball 64 by licking. Such a difficulty is particularly acute for a pet with a small tongue.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a pet fountain with a spout structure free of the deficiencies of the prior art structures described above.
The foregoing objective of the present invention is attained by a spout structure comprising a spout projecting from the main body of a pet fountain, and a tapping part fastened at one end to the free end of the spout. The tapping part is provided in the interior with a steel ball space of a tapered construction, and in the inner wall of other end thereof with a groove for retaining a washer. The steel ball is movably received in the steel ball space such that the steel ball is partially extended out of the other end of the tapping part. When the steel ball is moved by the licking tongue of a pet, the drinking water is let out of the other end of the tapping part via a gap which is formed between the inner wall of the steel ball space and the steel ball in motion. The tapping part is provided with a guide edge to prevent the steel ball from sitting snugly in the washer.
The features and the advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon a thoughtful deliberation of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.